Diving Gilimanuk | Perfect Day Trip for Beginners | Atlantis Bali Diving

Diving Gilimanuk

DIVING GILIMANUK DAY TRIP : 2 DIVES WITH BANZAI CARDINAL FISH AND NUDIBRANCH

Situated on the most western point of Bali, you will find Gilimanuk. The city from which ferries navigate to and from Java. Departing from the head office of Dune Atlantis, you will make a 3 to 4 hour drive through the most beautiful landscapes of Bali.

Secret Bay is the name of the dive site found in Gilimanuk; not far from the village where ferries come and go through the strait of Java.  Guarded by two tiny islands, this bay is not deep at all, with the water level rising and falling between 2 and 12 metres deep.  Neither very large, the bay measures about 2km across, and is made up of mangrove flora. 

As it’s located just next to the strait of Java and strong current passes by through the strait, the mouth of the bay is like a canal that provides nutrient-rich currents, and a safe place for marine life to reproduce, making it a protected and ideal nursery to visit in bad weather. 

The marine life here is abundant and varied despite the absence of coral.  In the first few minutes the dive might not seem very interesting, as you kick out over a lot of decomposing sea grass, algae, and leaves.   However, it’s one of the few places around Bali where we can find creatures that are difficult to believe that they exist! 

Diving is preferable during high tide because even then, the water will only be about 8 -10 metres deep (and sometimes more shallow depending on the moon cycle).  The seabed is composed of black sand, and sometimes silt or mud, usually making for a visibility that is not the greatest.

Secret Bay is an exceptional dive site for muck diving, and usually reserved for divers in search of a unique experience.  It will bring joy to any photographer, as well as those passionate about marine biology and macro life.  Here you might see seahorses, shrimps, frog fish, dragonets, Banzai cardinal fish, nudibranch, leaf scorpion fish, razor fish, and pipefish. 

DAY TRIP DIVING GILIMANUK  DESCRIPTION: 

  1. Pick-up from hotel by the Dune Atlantis International Bali bus
  2. Depart Sanur around 6:00- 6:30am
  3. Arrive in Gilimanuk around 10:30am
  4. 1st dive (morning)
  5. Lunch included in a local restaurant
  6. 2nd dive (afternoon)
  7. Return to Sanur around 8:00 or 8:30pm
  8. Drop off to hotel by the Dune Atlantis International Bali  bus

DIVING GILIMANUK INFORMATION :

  • Type of dive:  Muck dive, macro, photography, marine biology, shallow
  • Depth:  2 – 12 metres
  • Certification level required: Certified diver
  • Visibility:  3 – 25 metres
  • Current: None to weak
  • Access: From shore
  • Temperature:  25 – 30⁰ C

INCLUDED IN YOUR DAY TRIP DIVING TO GILIMANUK:

  • Transport in air-conditioned bus (to/from) your hotel to Gilimanuk Click here (FAQ n°12) For more information about our free transfer zone
  • Lunch and drinks at local restaurant
  • English, French, Chinese, or Indonesian-speaking dive guide or instructor
  • 12L aluminium tanks with K-valve/international valve and weights included
  • Full set of diving equipment rental
  • PADI Diving Insurance (Decompression Chamber only)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

  • Dive in small groups (Ratio 4 divers to 1 Guide/Instructor)
  • Dive sites chosen and appropriate for divers’ experience level
  • 15L available on request
  • Adherence to PADI Standards
  • Adherence to safety rules and recommendations (emergency oxygen, first aid kit)
  • Non-diving companion welcome
  • Snorkeling possible
  • Emergency Oxygen and First Aid available

I recently took part in an IDC held by Dune Atlantis Bali. It was excellent and i would like to highlight the great job done by course director Patrick and staff instructor Karl. What i was most impressed with was their focus on not getting us to pass the IDC and the subsequent Instructor Exam, but to create good instructors. I would highly recommend them to anyone interested in doing IDC.

alson_DI

Hard to know where to start. . .

After emailing several dive centres around the world, I decided to do a 2 month Divemaster internship with Atlantis. The emails received from Jerome and Marie were so helpful and friendly, answered my many, many questions and made me feel confident I had chose the right place.

They arranged everything and gave a price that included all required (advanced open water, EFR, Rescue and Divemaster courses, learning materials, equipment rental AND accommodation) – no surprise charges when I got there. They picked me up from the airport, took me to the dive centre for a little tour and then onto my guesthouse – absolutely no stress involved. All the staff – the drivers, the equipment guys, the office girls, the divemasters and instructors were so nice and made me feel relaxed and very welcome straight away.

The scuba equipment and speedboats are in excellent condition and the equipment guys move all the tanks and wash your equipment for each dive so you don’t have to!

All the instructors and divemasters are experienced and very capable as well as friendly and funny. The courses are taught well and they go well beyond what is required from PADI – they want you to be a good divemaster, rather than just a divemaster. The office staff are fantastic and make everything happen – the organisation is always perfect, and there is a lot of organising to do on busy days!

It goes without saying the dive sites in and around Bali are excellent and as a divemaster trainee you get to go to all of them, many many times. I dived almost every day I was there – the only exceptions were when there were classroom/pool days and when I asked for days off to go exploring.

The dive centre, training and equipment are top quality. What really makes Atlantis special though is the people. After a while the staff stopped seeming like staff and more like friends. At the end of the 2 months, I finished the DM course, was originally intending to travel on to Vietnam and Cambodia for my final month of holiday. . . but I was having such a good time with Atlantis, I stayed 🙂 .

At events I heard people from other dive centres referring to the ‘Atlantis family’. . .which to begin with sounded a bit cheesy to me. . .but it’s true and I will miss them all very much. It’s no exaggeration when I say that it was the best three months ever and I can’t wait to get back out there at the earliest opportunity.

I could write for hours, but will stop now. . feel free to ask me for advice 🙂

Thanks for everything Atlantis.

Tom J

The Atlantis dive master intership is a fantastic, hands-on experience that leaves you feeling confident in your skills whether you plan to continue onto IDC or work as a dive master in the industry. In addition to quality education, the people at Atlantis welcome you to their dive family and introduce you to the life in Sanur Beach. You also get to experience a variety of fun dives in addition to their training for the dive master certification.

lina E